NCEA President's Awards

NCEA is honored to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to Catholic education with the President's Awards. Nominations for the 2018 President's Awards are now open. Individual, institutional or affiliate members of NCEA may make nominations. The NCEA Board of Directors’ Institutional Advancement Committee will review all nominations and make recommendations to the NCEA president/CEO for the final selection. The deadline for all nominations is December 29, 2017. The awards will be presented in conjunction with NCEA's 2018 Convention & Expo on Monday, April 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, OH at a special awards banquet. The convention opens on April 3 and closes on April 5. Each award recipient is expected to be present at the convention to receive the award.

Leonard F. DeFiore Parental Choice Advocate Award

This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting full and fair parental choice in education.

Catherine T. McNamee, CSJ Award

This award is presented to an individual or institution that offers exceptional leadership in promoting a vision of Catholic education that welcomes and serves cultural and economic diversity or serves students with diverse needs.

C. Albert Koob Merit Award

This award is given to an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to Catholic education at any level – early childhood, elementary, secondary, higher education – or in any educational setting, in one or more of these areas: teaching, administration, parish religious education, research, publication or educational leadership. The awardee’s service and contribution should be recognized as having current significance at the national level.

Msgr. John F. Meyers Award

This award is presented to an individual who has provided substantial support for Catholic education through contributions in the areas of development, public relations, scholarship programs, financial management, or government relations.

Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award

This award is presented annually to an individual, school or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach.

Meet the 2017 Honorees

John N. Coons, professor of law, emeritus, at the University of California at Berkeley, will be recognized with the Leonard F. DeFiore Parental Choice Advocate Award.

Beatriz Arellanes, coordinator for Latino school enrollment in the Archdiocese of Omaha, will be honored with the Catherine T. McNamee, CSJ Award.

Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill, Ph.D., executive director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College, will be honored with the C. Albert Koob Merit Award.

Susan George, executive director of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund in the Archdiocese of New York, will be presented with the John F. Meyers Award.

The Seminarian Letter Project, instituted in 2000 by the New Jersey State Council Knights of Columbus, is the honoree for the Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award. John Tirado of the St. Jude Council, Knights of Columbus, Blackwood, will accept the award on behalf of the Seminarian Letter Project.